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Hailed recently in the Daily Telegraph as ‘a voice of real distinction’, Nicky Spence is currently a Harwood Young Artist at ENO, having trained at the GSMD and the National Opera Studio.
The winner of the National Bruce Millar Opera Prize, Nicky’s diverse repertoire ranges from Handel and Mozart to Donizetti, Britten and Jonathan Dove, having collaborated with the finest orchestras on some of the world’s most major platforms. A proud Concordia Foundation Artist, Britten-Pears Young Artist, Georg Solti and Samling Scholar, his other awards include the Kathleen Ferrier Young Singers Award, the Concordia Barthel Prize, a Sybil Tutton Award, a Young Classical Performer of the Year nomination at the Classical Brit Awards and a place in the final of the Gold Medal at the Guildhall School.
Last season marked Nicky’s debut for some of the UK’s most distinguished opera houses including Opera North, Opera Holland Park, Scottish Opera and English National Opera. His roles include Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress, MacHeath The Beggar’s Opera, Jaquino Fidelio (Opera Holland Park), Lampwick The Adventures of Pinocchio, and Quint The Turn of the Screw (Opera North; Arcola Theatre
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Hailed recently in the Daily Telegraph as ‘a voice of real distinction’, Nicky Spence is currently a Harwood Young Artist at ENO, having trained at the GSMD and the National Opera Studio.
The winner of the National Bruce Millar Opera Prize, Nicky’s diverse repertoire ranges from Handel and Mozart to Donizetti, Britten and Jonathan Dove, having collaborated with the finest orchestras on some of the world’s most major platforms. A proud Concordia Foundation Artist, Britten-Pears Young Artist, Georg Solti and Samling Scholar, his other awards include the Kathleen Ferrier Young Singers Award, the Concordia Barthel Prize, a Sybil Tutton Award, a Young Classical Performer of the Year nomination at the Classical Brit Awards and a place in the final of the Gold Medal at the Guildhall School.
Last season marked Nicky’s debut for some of the UK’s most distinguished opera houses including Opera North, Opera Holland Park, Scottish Opera and English National Opera. His roles include Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress, MacHeath The Beggar’s Opera, Jaquino Fidelio (Opera Holland Park), Lampwick The Adventures of Pinocchio, and Quint The Turn of the Screw (Opera North; Arcola Theatre London), and more recently Baron Lummer Intermezzo (Scottish Opera), which the ‘Independent’ called a ‘stand-out performance’. This was followed by the leading part of Brian in Nico Muhly’s MET commissioned opera Two Boys, which received its world premiere at English National Opera and which gained him uniformly outstanding reviews. Most recently, he made his debut with New Zealand Opera in the role of Thomas Mason in Jenny McLeod’s opera Hohepa, presented at the New Zealand International Arts Festival.
Concert performances include a Britten Song-Cycle Series in Aldeburgh and at Kings Place, a lecture-recital at the Howard Assembly Rooms, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with L’Orchestre National d’Ile de France under Gordan Nikolic, a Gala performance at the Royal Festival Hall and Mozart Requiem with the Cambridge Philharmonic. In recital, he has most recently appeared at the Leeds and Oxford Lieder Festivals.
An experienced recording artist, Nicky attracted a long-term recording contract with Universal Classics and increasing recognition on stage, radio and television as a presenter and performer alike having contributed to tours and Platinum Selling disks the world over. He has recently recorded a disk of Britten Songs with Malcolm Martineau (Onyx), released earlier this season and a disk of premiere Hoddinott recordings, which brought him extensive acclaim. ‘Engaging and shining, both Song-Cycles are given highly nuanced and projected performances by Nicky Spence.’ (GRAMOPHONE DEC 2010)
Adding to his credentials in contemporary repertoire, his world-premiere recording of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s song cycle A Constant Obsession, for Resonus Classics was released in January and received uniformly excellent reviews: “Nicky Spence is superb in the song cycle A Constant Obsession " (Ivan Hewitt, The Daily Telegraph)
Future plans include a return to ENO for Novice Billy Budd, concert performances of Act 1 of Tristan and Isolde with the BBC Scottish Symphony and Donald Runnicles, his Grange Park Opera debut as Chevalier in Les Dialogues des Carmelites and Steva Jenufa for La Monnaie in Brussels.
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Reviews
"Spence... broadly overcomes the awkwardness of adults playing children on the stage – and does it with arrestingly bright, bell-like resonance [...] Spence is turning out to be a voice of real distinction (ENO, Two Boys)"
The Telegraph
"Nicky Spence is a superb soloist here - elegant expressive lines and a firm sense of pitch..."
A Constant Obsession, Turnage - Stephen Johnson, BBC Music Magazine
"...Nicky Spence gave us some of the finest and most tender singing of the night."
Hohepa, NZ Opera - Kate McLean, Capital Times Wellington
"Tenor Nicky Spence sang with bright ardor as Mason..."
Hohepa, NZ Opera - Mike Silverman, The Associated Press
"There are layers of vocal interest too [...] Nicky Spence as Thomas Mason has superb tone..."
Hohepa, NZ Opera - Michael Gilchrist, Theatreview
"The title comes from a ravishing song cycle that could hardly be more English. It's not only Turnage's harmonies or choice of poets [...] that defines the Britten-esque aesthetic, but also the theme of anguished love, which finds him at his most lyrical and accessible. Nicky Spence flatters the tenor lines, while the musicians [...] capture the moody luminosity of the instumental score."
CD Review: A Constant Obsession: Chamber Works by Mark Anthony Turnage. Andrew Clark, The Financial Times
"Nicky Spence is limpidly expressive (in a vocal part writtern for Mark Padmore)"
CD Review: A Constant Obsession: Three for Two. Four Chants, Turnage. Richard Whitehouse, Gramophone
"Nicky Spence is superb in the song cycle A Constant Obsession..."
CD Review: A Constant Obsession: Chamber Works by Mark Anthony Turnage. Ivan Hewett - Daily Telegraph
"[...]Nicky Spence delivers the song cycle A Constant Obsession with smoothness yet crystalline clarity"
CD Review - Turnage: Chamber Works. Editor's Choice, Classical Music Magazine
"...superb artistry...with pungent playing from Chamber Domaine...and the agile voice of tenor Nicky Spence. The song cycle A Constant Obsession...all crafted and performed lovingly, right down to Spence's carefully rolled 'r' in the word 'ripening'."
Geoff Brown, The Times
"Nicky Spence's Who are these Children? is the outstanding performance of this volume: he really sells these wonderful settings. . .characterising their compassion. He also bewitches with three other Soutar settings which Britten discarded from the cycle."
CD Review: Britten Songs, Vol. 2: 'Who are these Children'. Hilary Finch, BBC Music Magazine
"Nicky Spence is splendid as Robin Hood: vigorous in the ballad 'Englishmen by birth', he is eloquent in the beautiful 'My own, my guiding star', his manner recalling Richard Lewis."
Richard Lawrence, Gramophone.co.uk
"Tenor Nicky Spence has the sort of warmth to his voice that could melt a snowdrift..."
Phil Dennett, Mid Sussex Times.
"A Constant Obsession...it receives a powerful performance. Dare I upset fans of Peter Pears by saying that I’d like to hear Nicky Spence now in preference to him in that Britten Serenade?"
CD Review: A Constant Obsession: Chamber works. Brian Wilson - Music Web International
"Up and coming tenor Nicky Spence...brought the required drama to The Vagabond, and a softer, very beautiful atmosphere to Let Beauty Awake and Youth and Love. His interpretation of the latter was one of the highlights of the evening, with the final line 'Call him with lighted lamp in the eventide' absolutely stunning. "
Leeds Lieder+, Laura Kate Wilson - Bach Track
"With Nicky Spence also in fine form as the wicked ghost Peter Quint, this was a great opportunity to see two of the fastest rising stars on the British opera scene."
Turn of the Screw, Grimeborn, 2011. William Hartston - Express.co.uk
"Tenor Nicky Spence gives a performance of real distinction, capturing every detail of the text. His clean and robust sound is thrilling when enraptured with the music's drama, and almost whispers voyeuristically in telling the listener of the many paths on Traeth Bychan, a beach where lovers wander. Spence works very well with his gifted collaborator at the piano Andrew Matthews-Owen, as he word paints over very rich textures"
CD Review: Alun Hoddinott - Song Cycles and Folksongs. Caroline McGee - Musical Pointers
"Nicky Spence displayed much more vocal assurance in the central role of Brian...Spence conveyed poise and a depth of vocal presence through secure and powerful projection, and he commanded the melodic line without sacrificing a certain agility of touch. Spence's...assurance gives Two Boys an authoritative central vocal presence"
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. Stephen Graham - MusicalCriticism.com
"Proving again that he’s a real star in the making, Nicky Spence gives the standout performance."
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. Simon Thomas, WhatsOnStage.com.
"In the role of Brian, the main suspect, Nicky Spence gives a fine performance as an intense, insecure teenager."
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. William Hartston - Express.co.uk
"Nicky Spence outdid all expectation in the vocal authority and shading of teenager assailant Brian."
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. Alexandra Coghlan - NewStatesman.
"Brian, sung superbly by the young Scottish tenor Nicky Spence."
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. Michael Roddy, Reuters.
"Nicky Spence is extraordinarily credible as Brian, the apparently multiple individuals he gets mixed up with are brilliantly personified."
Two Boys, English National Opera, London Coliseum. George Hall, The Stage.
"Nicky Spence is always a vivid presence on stage and a joy to hear. The arias in which he sang...were lovely."
Crispin Wellbeloved, GlobalNewsBox.com.
"Nicky Spence relishes the eight-year old composer’s Burns setting “O that I had ne’er been married."
CD Review - Britten: Songs Volume 1. Andrew Clark, Financial Times.
"...Nicky Spence shone as a louche young Baron."
Intermezzo (Baron), Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 2011.The Observer, Fiona Maddocks.
"...the stand-out performance comes from Nicky Spence, as the caddish Baron Lummer."
Intermezzo (Baron), Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 2011. The Independent on Sunday, Anna Picard.
"The vapid Baron Lummer...is admirably played by Nicky Spence..."
Intermezzo (Baron), Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 2011. Herald Scotland, Conrad Wilson.
"Scottish tenor Nicky Spence made an overdue company debut as Christine's smarmy, prettily sung flirt."
Intermezzo (Baron), Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 2011. Guardian, Kate Molleson.
"Nicky Spence is the debonair but dishonest Baron, disguising his low intentions under some brilliant high notes..."
Intermezzo (Baron), Scottish Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, March 2011. The Stage, George Hall.
"...the irresistible Arlecchino and Lampwick of Nicky Spence..."
The Adventures of Pinocchio, Opera North - Autumn 2010. Hilary Finch - The Times.
"As for Nicky Spence, a Tom with this much flair and energy would be a find for any professional company."
The Rake's Progress, British Youth Opera, September 2009. Anna Picard - The Independant.
"The most human I've seen for a while, largely because Nicky Spence, who sang Tom, is such an engaging performer. Spence has so much natural charm and charisma - star quality, even - that the opera was made to seem even more sadistic than usual. His clear, open projection of the character - very much the 21st century everyman - had a strong and lyrical vocal tone and at Mother Goose's and in London, Tom was heartbreaklingly aware of his fall, full of nostalgia but addicted to easeful. corruption."
The Rake's Progress, British Youth Opera, September 2009. Opera Now Magazine
"The central performances are all clearly defined. Nicky Spence's Tom shows an almost indecent willingness to fall from grace. "
The Rake's Progress, British Youth Opera, September 2009. George Hall - The Guardian.
"Nicky Spence, in the role of the matchmaker Kochkaryov, shows great comic flair, resembling a silent movie comedian with red hair and baggy clothes"
The Marriage, Guildhall School of Music and Drama - June 2009. Simon Thomas - musicOMH.
"There's space only to single out... Nicky Spence"
Flight, British Youth Opera. Geoff Brown -The Times.